Person
Every book Katie Porter recommended on podcasts
Katie Porter engages in political and public policy discussions across podcasts such as The Ezra Klein Show and Pod Save America. As a guest, she frequently connects structural inequalities and bureaucratic hurdles to sociological research and economic literature. During her appearance on The Ezra Klein Show, Porter recommended Caro Claire Burke's debut novel Yesteryear during a book recommendation round, highlighting its mind-bending themes and its exploration of the frustration, rage, and gender stereotypes that women must navigate in contemporary society. On Pod Save America, Porter also discussed several influential nonfiction works. She brought up Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir's Scarcity to illustrate how complexity and bureaucratic roadblocks disproportionately impact low-income and vulnerable populations. Furthermore, Porter referenced Robert D. Putnam's well-known sociology texts Our Kids and Bowling Alone, noting the profound personal impact Putnam's work made on her understanding of community. She utilized Putnam's writing to critique how the broader American mindset surrounding collective responsibility, civic engagement, and social fabric has narrowed significantly over successive generations. Through these literary references, Porter underscores her deep engagement with sociology, systemic inequality, and modern gender dynamics.
Books recommended by Katie Porter
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Scarcity
Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir is a behavioral science book that examines how poverty and constrained resources consume mental bandwidth and dictate human decision-making.
Recommended“so there's actually some really interesting research around this including work done by Elder Shaffir whose books scarcity I highly recommend”
Where to get it
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Yesteryear
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke is a contemporary fiction novel that explores the intricate pressures, frustrations, and gender stereotypes that women navigate in modern society.
Recommended“So, I would tell you that I think the banger book of the year that really encapsu- encapsulates in a fascinating, mind-bending way all of the frustration and rage that women and gender stereotypes put in onto us and that we have to navigate is Yesteryear, which is a fiction book. It just came out. It's a 36-hour stay up”
Where to get it
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Bowling Alone
Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D.
Discussed“another book that made a powerful impact on me is called our kids by Robert Putnam who wrote sociology wrote Bowling Alone”
Where to get it
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Our Kids
Discussed“another book that made a powerful impact on me is called our kids by Robert Putnam who wrote sociology wrote Bowling Alone”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ezra Klein Grills CA’s Possible Governors | The Ezra Klein Show | The Ezra Klein Show | 2026-05-09 | 1 |
| Katie Porter Full Interview | Pod Save America | Pod Save America | 2018-12-25 | 4 |
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“another book that made a powerful impact on me is called our kids by Robert Putnam who wrote sociology wrote Bowling Alone and he talks about like back in his generation”